Billy Outside the Box: Reflections on the WDW Radio 7th Anniversary Party

I am constantly in awe each time I look at the calendar. How the time flies! Although it’s already been a month since we met (January 31st, 2014), it feels like yesterday that a group of us from the WDW Radio family came together to celebrate the 7th Anniversary of WDW. And on that note, I cannot believe it’s been seven years of Walt Disney World Radio.

It was a night filled with friends, laughter, and, of course, food. Much thanks to Beci and Christy for doing an amazing job organizing everything from booking the two-bedroom at Old Key West to the prize giveaways (Kungalush backpacks from The Adventurers Club, artwork prints, and an oddly familiar customized Storm Trooper figurine).

After saying hello to everyone in The Box, it was time to hit the record button and start reminiscing. Take a moment to step back in time and think with everyone else about some of your answers to these questions:

• What have been some of your favorite episodes?

– DSIs, Top 10s, The 7 Wonders of WDW (if I recall, the question was posed, “what does classify as a wonder today? We might have to revisit this now.”)

• Who has been your favorite guest speaker on the show?

– Richard Sherman, Julie Andrews, Alice Davis

• Which event has been your favorite to attend?

– The Great Movie Ride, Marathon Weekend, the WDW Radio Cruise, NJ/NY Meet-of-the-Month (“No sir, we are not a part of Occupy Wall Street”).

• What has inspired you?

– The Dream Team making you sign-up for your first running event or maybe stepping onto a ship the first time because of a WDW Cruise

Thank you to everyone for seven years of engagement, commitment, and fun. Near the end of the evening, Lou said it perfectly, “We all want to belong and be a part of a community. You guys created and make those relationships. You pull it together and make it happen.”

The best thing about all this though, we’re only getting started. “We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths”—Walt.

Billy Latta is a graduate of Malone University in Canton, OH. He participated in the Fall 2012 and Fall 2013 Disney College Programs as lifeguard at Disney’s Old Key West and Saratoga Springs resorts. Billy is currently a Management Intern with Disney’s Animal Kingdom Custodial Operations. When not spending time at WDW, Billy is either home in Metuchen, NJ with his parents and brother or visiting friends back in Canton, OH. Billy enjoys running, traveling, listening to podcasts, and keeping up-to-date on the latest Disney and entertainment news.

3 Responses to "Billy Outside the Box: Reflections on the WDW Radio 7th Anniversary Party"

I have to agree, time goes way to fast, we need to do this again NOW. It was a great night, filled with fun, laughs and moments of reflections, of things past. The Villa was beautiful, the food delicious , and the company, well there are not enough words, to describe that fantastic group of people,,,, Thanks to Lou, Christy, Beci, and the whole WDW family, in and out of the box, for a night to remember! I hope we can do it agin and again,, Oh yeah and I got to meet Glenn Whelan,,,,,,,,